We started the Buddhism (http://www.fb.com/BuddhistPeople) page to give the world Buddha's teachings. The Offering Of Dhamma. Nothing Else. By doing so, at least to put one good thought into you on daily basis. To coax you to find your own salvation. we are not doing this for prestige or to belittle other religions & visions. Our only aim is to give the world pure Theravada Buddhism.

We do not agree with all the atrocities that is going around the world in the name of protecting Buddhism. Buddha's teachings would be in this world for another 2443 years only, according to Buddha himself. (Buddha said that his teachings would survive in the world for 5000 years from his 'Parinirvana'. Now, 2557 years have elapsed.)

No amount of shouting or fighting would make it survive another day more than that.No one can destroy it by any action of theirs a day less than that.

Our duty is to find our own liberation by ending suffering following Our Gautama Buddha's great teachings. That was what he WANTED.Acts of violence in the name of protecting Buddhism would only bring demerit to oneself. There are ways of countering opponents peacefully. Buddhism is a very Peaceful vision. Please do not try to make it otherwise by making false statements and call upon unnecessary arguments which would coax people who read them to counter attack which would bring them demerit. Therefore, we have decided to remove all the unnecessary comments from today.

We would take this opportunity to say to the world one other fact which is making a big commotion in the Asian world. Buddha was born in Lumbini which belonged to the ANCIENT INDIA (INDO-NEPALESE Region) DURING GAUTAMA BUDDHA'S TIME. Today it is in the TERAI PLANES OF SOUTHERN NEPAL since Nepal & India are two different countries today.

Hi MadushkaI am very pleased to see your enthusiasm in protecting Buddha’s teaching.But I think you have started your journey with the wrong footing. You said:

We would take this opportunity to say to the world one other fact which is making a big commotion in the Asian world. Buddha was born in Lumbini which belonged to the ANCIENT INDIA (INDO-NEPALESE Region) DURING GAUTAMA BUDDHA'S TIME. Today it is in the TERAI PLANES OF SOUTHERN NEPAL since Nepal & India are two different countries today.

Does it really matter whether Buddha was born in India or America? What we are interested about is, his teaching. Please ask the question yourself that this sort of argument is in line with Buddha’s teaching. I suggest that you practice at least a little bit of Buddha’s teaching before you preach it!Metta

SarathW wrote:Does it really matter whether Buddha was born in India or America? What we are interested about is, his teaching.

I would suggest it does.

For example, there's a LOT of people who believe Buddhism started in China, and ergo, the Buddha was Chinese. Perhaps they even see him as morbidly obese and not given to sense restraint.

Therefore, if we're interested in his teaching and we believe he was Chinese... which "his teaching" do we end up with? The answer is sutras that aren't his teaching and a Buddha who isn't the Buddha.

It is important people know who the Buddha actually was, so that if they want his actual teachings they are in a better position to identify what he actually taught.

Metta,Retro.

"When we transcend one level of truth, the new level becomes what is true for us. The previous one is now false. What one experiences may not be what is experienced by the world in general, but that may well be truer. (Ven. Nanananda)

“I hope, Anuruddha, that you are all living in concord, with mutual appreciation, without disputing, blending like milk and water, viewing each other with kindly eyes.” (MN 31)

For example, there's a LOT of people who believe Buddhism started in China, and ergo, the Buddha was Chinese...

And Korean and Thai and Burmese and Sri Lankan and ....

And that reminds me, on this ongoing raging controversy...is Kapilvastu Indian or Nepalese territory...

Bhikkhus, if you develop and make much this one thing, it invariably leads to weariness, cessation, appeasement, realization and extinction. What is it? It is recollecting the Enlightened One. If this single thing is recollected and made much, it invariably leads to weariness, cessation, appeasement, realization and extinction.Anguttara-Nikaya: Ekanipata: Ekadhammapali: PañhamavaggaVSMVMMWBBTBHTWTBTMy Page

SarathW wrote:So what you are saying is ,if people think that if Einstein was born in India, that nobody can split the atom?

No, that's an inappropriate analogy. I explained the reason and it's consequential.

In short - by believing the Buddha came from a certain country, many people tend to think that that particular country's form of Buddhism is what the Buddha taught.

Metta,Retro.

"When we transcend one level of truth, the new level becomes what is true for us. The previous one is now false. What one experiences may not be what is experienced by the world in general, but that may well be truer. (Ven. Nanananda)

“I hope, Anuruddha, that you are all living in concord, with mutual appreciation, without disputing, blending like milk and water, viewing each other with kindly eyes.” (MN 31)

SarathW wrote:Hi MadushkaI am very pleased to see your enthusiasm in protecting Buddha’s teaching.But I think you have started your journey with the wrong footing. You said:

We would take this opportunity to say to the world one other fact which is making a big commotion in the Asian world. Buddha was born in Lumbini which belonged to the ANCIENT INDIA (INDO-NEPALESE Region) DURING GAUTAMA BUDDHA'S TIME. Today it is in the TERAI PLANES OF SOUTHERN NEPAL since Nepal & India are two different countries today.

Does it really matter whether Buddha was born in India or America? What we are interested about is, his teaching. Please ask the question yourself that this sort of argument is in line with Buddha’s teaching. I suggest that you practice at least a little bit of Buddha’s teaching before you preach it!Metta

Yes you are right. But like you, we receive thousands of Emails daily regarding this issue. People see things in different angles. They read an article keeping in mind what they believe. If even a single word is there which they do not want to see or hear, they would start blasting the writer. That was what happened when the Nepalese saw our article on Buddha's life. They didn't like the word "India" and started scolding us even without considering or trying to understand what we have written.If you go through the comments, under the article you are talking about you would see. We have deleted some which would have provoked others and you would see that we have posted the same which you said under the comments. May the Triple Gem Bless You!

Hi allIt appears I did not look at the problem with equanimity. When I look at the problem in my angle I could not see any problem in relation to this issue. There are a lot of other people with deferent level of experience to the same problem. So I have to let others do what they think right for themselves. I wonder what Buddha would have done in this situation?